Popular travel destinations
for Portugal passport holders
Portuguese passport holders have visa-free access to 187 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America.
🏛️ Europe. Portugal is a part of the Schengen Area; therefore, Portuguese passport holders can enter the Schengen countries visa-free. They can stay there for up to 90 days every six months.
Other EU countries are also available for Portuguese citizens. Among them are Cyprus, Ireland, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania. The visa-free period of stay here is the same: 90 days within a 180 days
The UK. Portuguese citizens can stay in the UK for 6 months. Visa is not required; however, they must have a passport valid for the whole duration of their stay in the country.
🗽 The USA and Canada. Portuguese citizens need to get an eTA (electronic travel authorization) to enter the USA or Canada. The process of obtaining it is simple and takes around half an hour.
With eTA, Portuguese citizens can stay in the USA for 90 days and in Canada — for 6 months. If they enter Canada from the US by land or sea, they don’t require an eTA.
in the USA with an eTA
🐨 Australia. Portugal citizens need to apply for eTA before entering the country. It is valid for one year and allows Portugal passport holders to visit Australia multiple times. The maximum stay is 90 days.
🐲 Asia. Portugal passport holders travel visa-free to Singapore, South Korea and some more Asian countries. The number of days they spend in each country depends on the country itself. For example, one can live 90 days in Hong Kong and Singapore and 30 days in the Maldives.
List of visa-free countries for Portugal
Portugal citizens can travel to 187 countries in the world visa-free. Some of them can be entered without any further requirements. One must go through electronic travel authorization or obtain a visa upon arrival to visit others. Getting eTA is simple and fast: it is done remotely and takes about 30 minutes.
The entry conditions and list of visa-free countries for Portugal passport holders are constantly changing due to the geopolitical situation in the world. Therefore we advise you to check before traveling to any country.
Europe
№ | Country | Entry conditions | Duration of stay |
1 | Albania | Visa-free | 90 days |
2 | Andorra | Visa-free | 90 days |
3 | Austria | Visa-free | 90 days |
4 | Belarus | Visa-free | 30 days |
5 | Belgium | Visa-free | 90 days |
6 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Visa-free | 90 days |
7 | Bulgaria | Visa-free | 3 months |
8 | Croatia | Visa-free | 3 months |
9 | Cyprus | Visa-free | 3 months |
10 | Czech Republic | Visa-free | 90 days |
11 | Denmark | Visa-free | 90 days |
12 | Estonia | Visa-free | 90 days |
13 | Faroe Islands | Visa-free | 90 days |
14 | Finland | Visa-free | 90 days |
15 | France | Visa-free | 90 days |
16 | Georgia | Visa-free | 1 year |
17 | Germany | Visa-free | 90 days |
18 | Gibraltar | Visa-free | visa-free |
19 | Greece | Visa-free | 90 days |
20 | Greenland | Visa-free | 90 days |
21 | Hungary | Visa-free | 90 days |
22 | Iceland | Visa-free | 90 days |
23 | Ireland | Visa-free | 3 months |
24 | Italy | Visa-free | 90 days |
25 | Kosovo | Visa-free | 90 days |
26 | Latvia | Visa-free | 90 days |
27 | Liechtenstein | Visa-free | 3 months |
28 | Lithuania | Visa-free | 90 days |
29 | Luxembourg | Visa-free | 90 days |
30 | Malta | Visa-free | 90 days |
31 | Moldova | Visa-free | 90 days |
32 | Monaco | Visa-free | 90 days |
33 | Montenegro | Visa-free | 90 days |
34 | Netherlands | Visa-free | 90 days |
35 | North Macedonia | Visa-free | 3 months |
36 | Norway | Visa-free | 3 months |
37 | Poland | Visa-free | 90 days |
38 | Romania | Visa-free | 3 months |
39 | San Marino | Visa-free | 90 days |
40 | Serbia | Visa-free | 90 days |
41 | Slovakia | Visa-free | 90 days |
42 | Slovenia | Visa-free | 90 days |
43 | Spain | Visa-free | 90 days |
44 | Sweden | Visa-free | 90 days |
45 | Switzerland | Visa-free | 90 days |
46 | Türkiye | Visa-free | 90 days |
47 | Ukraine | Visa-free | 90 days |
48 | United Kingdom | Visa-free | 6 months |
49 | Vatican City | Visa-free | 90 days |
Africa
№ | Country | Entry conditions | Duration of stay |
1 | Botswana | Visa-free | 90 days |
2 | Burkina Faso | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
3 | Burundi | Visa on arrival | 1 month |
4 | Cape Verde Islands | Visa-free | 30 days |
5 | Comoro Islands | Visa on arrival | 45 days |
6 | Egypt | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
7 | Eswatini | Visa-free | 30 days |
8 | Ethiopia | Visa on arrival | 3 months |
9 | Gabon | Visa on arrival | 90 days |
10 | Guinea-Bissau | Visa on arrival | 90 days |
11 | Lesotho | Visa-free | 14 days |
12 | Madagascar | Visa on arrival | 90 days |
13 | Malawi | Visa on arrival | 3 months |
14 | Mauritania | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
15 | Mauritius | Visa-free | 90 days |
16 | Mayotte | Visa-free | 90 days |
17 | Morocco | Visa-free | 90 days |
18 | Mozambique | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
19 | Namibia | Visa-free | 90 days |
20 | Reunion | Visa-free | unlimited |
21 | Rwanda | Visa on arrival | 90 days |
22 | Sao Tome and Principe | Visa-free | 15 days |
23 | Senegal | Visa-free | 3 months |
24 | Seychelles | Visa on arrival | 90 days |
25 | Sierra Leone | Visa on arrival | 1 months |
26 | Somalia | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
27 | South Africa | Visa-free | 90 days |
28 | St. Helena | Visa on arrival | 182 days |
29 | Tanzania | Visa on arrival | 3 months |
30 | The Gambia | Visa on arrival | 90 days |
31 | Togo | Visa on arrival | 7 days |
32 | Tunisia | Visa-free | 90 days |
33 | Uganda | Visa on arrival | 90 days |
34 | Zambia | Visa on arrival | 90 days |
35 | Zimbabwe | Visa on arrival | 3 months |
Americas
№ | Country | Entry conditions | Duration of stay |
1 | Argentina | Visa-free | 90 days |
2 | Belize | Visa-free | 30 days |
3 | Bermuda | Visa-free | 6 months |
4 | Bolivia | Visa-free | 90 days |
5 | Brazil | Visa-free | 90 days |
6 | Canada | eTA | 6 months |
7 | Chile | Visa-free | 90 days |
8 | Colombia | Visa-free | 90 days |
9 | Costa Rica | Visa-free | 90 days |
10 | Ecuador | Visa-free | 90 days |
11 | El Salvador | Visa-free | 90 days |
12 | Falkland Islands | Visa-free | 30 days |
13 | French Guiana | Visa-free | 90 days |
14 | Guatemala | Visa-free | 90 days |
15 | Guyana | Visa-free | 90 days |
16 | Honduras | Visa-free | 90 days |
17 | Mexico | Visa-free | 180 days |
18 | Nicaragua | Visa-free | 90 days |
19 | Panama | Visa-free | 3 months |
20 | Paraguay | Visa-free | 90 days |
21 | Peru | Visa-free | 90 days |
22 | United States | eTA | 90 days |
23 | Uruguay | Visa-free | 90 days |
24 | Venezuela | Visa-free | 90 days |
Asia
№ | Country | Entry conditions | Duration of stay |
1 | Bangladesh | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
2 | Brunei | Visa-free | 90 days |
3 | Cambodia | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
4 | Hong Kong | Visa-free | 90 days |
5 | Indonesia | Visa-free | 30 days |
6 | Kazakhstan | Visa-free | 30 days |
7 | Kyrgyzstan | Visa-free | 60 days |
8 | Laos | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
9 | Macao | Visa-free | 30 days |
10 | Malaysia | Visa-free | 90 days |
11 | Maldives | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
12 | Mongolia | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
13 | Nepal | Visa on arrival | 90 days |
14 | Philippines | Visa-free | 30 days |
15 | Singapore | Visa-free | 90 days |
16 | South Korea | Visa-free | 90 days |
17 | Sri Lanka | eTA | 30 days |
18 | Taiwan | Visa-free | 90 days |
19 | Tajikistan | Visa on arrival | 45 days |
20 | Thailand | Visa-free | 30 days |
21 | Timor-Leste | Visa-free | 90 days |
22 | Uzbekistan | Visa-free | 30 days |
Caribbean
№ | Country | Entry conditions | Duration of stay |
1 | Anguilla | Visa-free | 90 days |
2 | Antigua and Barbuda | Visa-free | 90 days |
3 | Aruba | Visa-free | 90 days |
4 | Bahamas | Visa-free | 90 days |
5 | Barbados | Visa-free | 3 months |
6 | Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba | Visa-free | 90 days |
7 | British Virgin Islands | Visa-free | 1 month |
8 | Cayman Islands | Visa-free | 6 months |
9 | Curacao | Visa-free | 90 days |
10 | Dominica | Visa-free | 3 months |
11 | Dominican Republic | Visa-free | 30 days |
12 | French West Indies | Visa-free | 90 days |
13 | Grenada | Visa-free | 90 days |
14 | Haiti | Visa-free | 90 days |
15 | Jamaica | Visa-free | 30 days |
16 | Montserrat | Visa-free | 6 months |
17 | Puerto Rico | eTA | 90 days |
18 | St. Kitts and Nevis | Visa-free | 90 days |
19 | St. Lucia | Visa-free | 90 days |
20 | St. Maarten | Visa-free | 90 days |
21 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | Visa-free | 90 days |
22 | Trinidad and Tobago | Visa-free | 90 days |
23 | Turks and Caicos Islands | Visa-free | 90 days |
24 | US Virgin Islands | eTA | 90 days |
Middle East
№ | Country | Entry conditions | Duration of stay |
1 | Armenia | Visa-free | 180 days |
2 | Bahrain | Visa on arrival | 2 weeks |
3 | Iran | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
4 | Iraq | Visa-free | 30 days |
5 | Israel | Visa-free | 90 days |
6 | Jordan | Visa on arrival | 6 months |
7 | Kuwait | Visa on arrival | 90 days |
8 | Lebanon | Visa on arrival | 1 month |
9 | Oman | Visa-free | 14 days |
10 | Palestinian Territory | Visa-free | |
11 | Qatar | Visa-free | 60 days |
12 | Saudi Arabia | Visa on arrival | 3 months |
13 | United Arab Emirates | Visa-free | 90 days |
Oceania
№ | Country | Entry conditions | Duration of stay |
1 | American Samoa | eTA | 90 days |
2 | Australia | eTA | 3 months |
3 | Cook Islands | Visa-free | 31 days |
4 | Fiji | Visa-free | 120 days |
5 | French Polynesia | Visa-free | 3 months |
6 | Guam | eTA | 90 days |
7 | Kiribati | Visa-free | 90 days |
8 | Marshall Islands | Visa-free | 90 days |
9 | Micronesia | Visa-free | 90 days |
10 | New Caledonia | Visa-free | 3 months |
11 | New Zealand | eTA | 3 months |
12 | Niue | Visa-free | 30 days |
13 | Northern Mariana Islands | Visa-free | 90 days |
14 | Palau Islands | Visa-free | 90 days |
15 | Papua New Guinea | Visa on arrival | 60 days |
16 | Samoa | Visa-free | 90 days |
17 | Solomon Islands | Visa-free | 90 days |
18 | Tonga | Visa-free | 90 days |
19 | Tuvalu | Visa-free | 90 days |
20 | Vanuatu | Visa-free | 90 days |
Benefits of Portugal passport
The Portuguese passport offers many advantages besides visa-free travel to 187 countries.
Entry Portugal any time. Portuguese citizens can visit the country under any circumstances, even if the borders are closed.
Free medical services. Portugal has a quality healthcare system, and its citizens can benefit from it for free. They also obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that allows them to get treatment in any EU country, including Iceland, Switzerland and Norway. Conditions for it are the same as in Portugal.
Free education. Kindergartens and schools are free in Portugal, and the university fees are very low for citizens of the country.
Studying in Portugal is prestigious. Among the best universities of the country are University of Porto, University of Lisbon, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Universidade de Coimbra. They belong to the list of Top 500 universities in the world. Portugal citizens can also learn in other EU countries without a need to pay tuition fees for foreigners.
High quality of life. Like any EU country, Portugal offers comfortable living conditions. It has a developed economy, social security, and a good environment. You can enjoy a warm climate and healthy food all year long.
In 2022 Portugal was ranked 6th on the Global Peace Index. And in 2020, the country was also called the best travel destination in Europe and won 26 World Travel Awards.
Opportunity to pass on citizenship by descent. Status remains with a person throughout life. Their children obtain Portuguese citizenship by birth.
How to obtain a Portuguese passport
Portuguese citizenship can be obtained by birth, descent, marriage and naturalization.
By birth. If a child is born in the country and at least one of the parents is a citizen of Portugal or holds a residence permit, the child becomes a citizen automatically. That also applies to children born to Portuguese citizens abroad.
By descent. People whose parents or grandparents are citizens of Portugal can apply for Portuguese citizenship at any time.
By marriage. It is possible to obtain citizenship if a person has been married to a Portuguese passport holder for at least 3 years. Portugal recognises unregistered unions, so people in a non-marital partnership can also apply for citizenship.
By naturalization. Someone with a Portuguese residence permit can apply for Portugal citizenship by naturalization after 5 years. It’s required to pay a state fee of €250 and pass a Portuguese language test on A2 level.
There is no passport by investment programme in Portugal; however, wealthy people can firstly apply for a Portugal Golden Visa and then, after 5 years of naturalization, for citizenship.
Applying for a D7 visa is another way to get citizenship by naturalization. It is given for 4 months to a person with €760+ monthly income outside the country. It doesn’t require investment but offers the same privileges as the Portugal Golden Visa.
D7 visa holders must apply for a Portugal residence permit, and they can apply for citizenship by naturalization after 5 years of residency in the country.
What is Portugal's Golden Visa, and how to obtain it
The Golden Visa of Portugal is a residence permit one can obtain by investing in Portugal’s economy. An investor can return money in 5 years.
There are 8 investment options to choose from:
- purchase of real estate built more than 30 years ago or located in designated restoration areas — €280,000+;
- purchase of a newer residential or commercial real estate — €500,000+;
- purchase of investment fund units — €500,000+;
- supporting arts and restoring cultural heritage — €250,000+;
- investments in research activities — €500,000+;
- capital transfer — €1,500,000+;
- business investments — €500,000+;
- opening a company and creating at least 10 workplaces.
The purchase of real estate is the most popular option. One can select the property remotely with the help of the Immigrant Invest experts.
After that, an investor comes to Portugal to make the final decision and then opens a bank account, gets an individual a taxpayer number, and signs a letter of attorney for a lawyer to represent them in Portugal.
When the deal with purchase of real estate is closed and all the documents are gathered the lawyer files an application. Afterwards, the investor and their family members return to Portugal to submit the biometrics.
The procedure of considering the application takes up to 10 months. If approved, the investor pays the residence permit card fees and gets them in person.
The residence permit is renewed every two years. The procedure of the renewal is the same.
Differences between Golden Visa and citizenship
Portuguese citizenship | Portugal Golden Visa |
Access to 187 countries visa-free | Access to 28 countries visa-free |
Period of acquisition: 3+ years | Period of acquisition: 8—10 months |
Can’t be obtained by investment | Can be obtained by investment |
Requires passing language test | Doesn’t require passing any language or cultural tests |
To obtain it you need to live in Portugal | You don’t need to live in Portugal to get it |
Visa-free countries for Golden Visa holders
Portugal Golden Visa holders can enter visa-free only the Schengen countries and Cyprus, Croatia, Romania, Ireland and Bulgaria. In total it gives visa-free access to 28 states.
Entry conditions for all those countries are the same.
Frequently asked questions
The Portuguese passport is ranking high; therefore it gives its holders an opportunity to visit 187 countries visa-free, including the US, Canada and Hong Kong.
No. Portugal passport holders can enter the country visa-free and stay there for up to 6 months.
Portuguese citizens can’t work in the USA without a working permit.
A Portuguese passport can’t be obtained by investment. However, there are several ways to become a Portugal citizen:
- by birth;
- by descent;
- by marriage;
- by naturalization.
The most common way is naturalization. Wealthy people choose to get a Golden Visa by investing in the country’s economy and apply for citizenship 5 years after.
The process of obtaining a Portuguese passport depends on the reason for obtaining citizenship. For example, if you decide to get a passport by naturalization, you can apply for it 5 years after receiving a Golden Visa for the first time.
With a Portuguese passport, you have a right to work in Portugal and any other EU country. It doesn’t require obtaining a working visa.
Citizens of Portugal can move to Germany and work there.